


Love in the Rain

by Ne0n_Lights



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Blushing Grillby, Domestic Fluff, Dreams and Nightmares, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, More tags to be added, Painting, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Protective Grillby, Protective Grillby (Undertale), Slow Burn, Sweet, somewhat slow burn, switch POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:14:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27110299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ne0n_Lights/pseuds/Ne0n_Lights
Summary: The rainy season was upon the small city below Mt. Ebott, and tonight it started pouring. You thought you could make it home but you end up seeking sanctuary in a bar where you meet a handsome fire elemental.
Relationships: Grillby (Undertale) & Reader, Grillby (Undertale) & You, Grillby (Undertale)/Reader, Grillby (Undertale)/You
Comments: 55
Kudos: 125





	1. Rained In

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted some more Grillby goodness. It's got fluff and comfort and don't worry, it's also got some sexy times a-comin. ;) The pacing may be a bit rough but I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> If there are any big typos let me know and I'll do my best to fix em right away. I hope you enjoy it!

It was pouring rain.

It was the rainy season in this small city at the base of Mt. Ebbot, but this was a new level. Large droplets just started falling a while ago and it looked like the city was already drenched.

You had been working on your pieces at your university late into the night and they were closing the studios which meant it was time to go home. You had noticed the rain and were able to store your portfolio in the studio that the security guards locked up. However, you didn’t have an umbrella, and as you stared out of the doors of the main lobby, you wondered what exactly to do.

You had a thin jacket and your backpack, but that was kind of it. They weren’t enough to shield you. You were just gonna have to run for it. Your apartment was… well it was kind of far away. Using public transportation it was fairly short but you weren’t sure if you wanted to wait for a bus in this rain. However, you had already surrendered to the fact that you were going to be soaked.

You stared outside. _No time like the present_.

Taking a deep breath you pulled your hood over and bolted out the doors.

You had only taken a few steps and were already soaked. Not fun.

Accompanying the rain was a very thick mist. You could only see the closest traffic lights and even though you knew where the bus stop was, the rain and the mist were too much and you decided you needed a place to retreat to.

Just a block down was a glowing sign you couldn’t fully make out, but you figured it was part of a building and that meant sanctuary.

You ran to it and luckily the place was open as you burst through the door.

Breathing heavily, you took a moment to catch your breath and then looked up to see where you actually were. It was a bar. A really nice one too. There were booths lining the windows and round tables in the center of the wooden floor. Then an L-shaped bar area and even from the entrance you could see the immense amount of bottles that lined the tall shelves behind it. The whole place was quite lovely, and the feeling was amplified by the slightly orange-tinted lights.

As you looked around, you saw that there was no one else around.

Nervously, you called out, “hello?”  
Immediately the door behind the bar opened and a… a man who was on fire walked through. You blinked and saw your eyes weren’t playing a trick on you, at the bar was a monster. Being at the base of Mt. Ebbot, seeing monsters wasn’t anything new or strange, as they came down and out of the mountain just over a few years ago, but you had never encountered a fire elemental before.

He started making his way to you.

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you were open. I was looking for a place to wait out the rain.”

By now he was in front of you and upon seeing your drenched state he gestured to the bar area. “Please, it’s not a problem.” His voice. You didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t quite that. It was deep and almost crackled, which seemed to add another layer of thickness to it. It stunned you and it took you a moment to compose yourself.

“Thank you--” there was a puddle of water that had gathered at your feet and as you took a step forward, you slipped. You were prepared to hit the ground but felt a pair of warm arms catch you and for a moment you were pressed against his chest. Instinctually your hands had come up now they were on his very warm chest. The position made you blush but you took it as being from the fact that you were up against a fire.

Then you heard a small sizzle and quickly pulled away, out of his warm embrace. “I’m so sorry!” You looked at and checked his arms frantically. “Are you alright?” It looked like there wasn’t any damage but you weren’t sure.

The fire elemental looked at you, almost amused, as you checked his arms. Then you met his gaze and saw that his shoulders shook slightly and the flames on the top of his head crackled a bit more, and it looked like he was… laughing. His chuckle was deep and sounded like the small pops of a fire. It… it was a nice sound.

You saw what looked like a smirk appear on his face, and then a soft smile. He showed you his arms, the fiery orange fire moved and glowed with the same brilliance as before. It was enchanting.

“I am fine.” He reassured you. A part of you still felt guilty, but you didn’t have much time to dawn on it as a shiver violently ripped through you. The fire elemental saw this and put a hand on your back. It was warm, and there wasn’t a sizzling sound so you assumed that your previous embrace must have dried that spot. “Please, have a seat. I’ll get you a drink.”

You let him lead you to the bar where you sat on a stool and saw him disappear behind a door. He quickly reappeared with a towel, which he offered you and you wrapped it around yourself.

“Thank you. It’s really crazy out there.”

“I can see. I haven’t seen it like this in ages.”

You stared at the fire elemental for a moment and then realized you didn’t even know his name. Not wanting to be rude, you made sure your hand was dry and reached over the bar counter to shake his hand.

“My name is ____ by the way.”

He briefly looked at your hand and you swear you saw a soft smile appear on his face again. He gently took your hand and shook it.

“Grillby. It’s a pleasure ____.” The way he said your name. There was a small fire that just sparked in the pit of your stomach.

His hand was warm, and you didn’t really want to let go. There was a comfort while holding his hand you couldn’t explain, but you didn’t want to make this any more possibly awkward, so you let go of his hand. However his hand lingered just a moment more, and then the warmth was gone.

Now you really got a good chance to look at him, at Grillby. He was quite a handsome monster. His flames were a brilliant mix of red and orange that shifted and swayed with his movements. It was mesmerizing that way they moved. The elemental was quite tall, as when you were in his embrace he was at least a head taller than you. You could tell he was lean but built, with his broad shoulders and from when your hands were on his chest.

From the thought, you started blushing, but luckily Grillby hadn’t seen as he was making a drink at another part of the bar. You were thankful because you would rather not explain to someone you had just met why your face was turning red.

After another moment, he returned with a drink that was steaming and placed it in front of you.

“This should warm you up.”

You looked at him, thankful, and took the drink in both hands. Just holding it warmed you up and after taking a sip, you could immediately feel the cold inside you dissipating. It tasted like a mix of hot chocolate and something else you couldn’t identify.

“Thank you. This is really good.”

He looked satisfied with your statement as another soft smile graced his face. Grillby looked at you a moment more, which started to make the blush come back to your face. You tried to hide it by drinking more, and you hoped it worked.

Then Grillby started cleaning some glasses while you looked around the bar again, and there was still no one else.

The rain kept on coming down and there was an air of silence now, but it didn’t feel awkward. In a way, it felt soothing. You fell into a peaceful lull as you just watched the man work, just taking small glances at him to note the way he moved and how the crackling flames followed. You hoped he didn’t notice, and whenever you thought he did, you would hide by taking another sip.

With the towel and hot drink, you weren’t cold anymore, even though your clothes were still damp. You weren’t sure how much time had gone by, and a part of you didn’t really care. There was something about this man, you couldn’t put your finger on it, but you just wanted to stay right there.

You were staring at him again, just watching him when he turned and met your gaze. _Crap!_ You immediately went to take another sip but, to your dismay, you had finished the drink. So you decided to just look outside the window at the rain… a blush creeping on your face again.

“It’s still really coming down isn’t it?” _Really, that’s the best you could think of? The weather?_

“It is.” You could hear him walking over but when you turned around to face the bar again, you didn’t expect him to be right in front of you, looking out the same window you had.

He wasn’t super close, but you admired his face and flames all the same. It was warm around him, and you continued to look at him, unable to turn away as he kept speaking in that deep hum of a voice. “Luckily everyone left before it started.”

From this, you wondered if he was actually getting ready to close. It was already a few hours past midnight and maybe that’s when he closed.

“Wait, are you actually supposed to be closed right now?” Now he had turned to face you. You didn’t have words for how you felt as you stared into the faint outline of eyes behind his glasses.

The monster saw the look of concern on your face. “Yes, but please, don’t worry. I’d rather stay open and have you warm than let you be out there.” There was a look of genuine worry on his face and he reassured you that it wasn’t a problem.

The small fire in the pit of your pit stomach grew and a part of you wanted to reach out and… touch him. You already had, but now you wanted to do it of your own volition. Just to feel the flames of his face as you imagined him… _don’t go down that path. You hardly even know him!_

But you almost felt like he was looking at you the same way. _No, you’re imagining that._

He continued to look at you and there was a slight blue color that overtook some of the flames where his cheeks were. He averted his gaze for a moment before he looked at you again.

You had no idea how to react to any of what was happening but luckily he spoke before you could do or say anything. “I hope I’m not imposing, but what do you do ____?”

The question took you off guard but you promptly responded. “I’m an art student. I study at the university just down the block.” You gestured in its general direction.

“Art, that’s quite fascinating. Any particular medium?” You felt that you had his undivided attention, which made your stomach flutter but also made you quite nervous.

It was useless to hide your blush any longer, but you tried by resting your chin in your hand. You also saw you weren’t alone as the light blue flames continued to grow on his face.

“Paint. Mostly acrylic.” You waited a moment for another question to be asked, but Grillby just looked at you. A part of you felt that he wanted you to keep talking, which you know seemed a bit odd, but with the way he was looking at you, as if in a trance, you obliged. “I do a lot of abstract work, but I also love doing landscapes and flowers.”

You saw a smile form on his face and this gave you the confidence to keep going. You weren’t someone who talked about themselves often. It always felt kind of hard and weird too, but to see someone genuinely looking interested, it wasn’t so bad.

It continued like this for a while, with Grillby asking you small questions about your art and university. He didn’t ask anything too personal, it seemed he didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.

This felt really nice. You shared some small funny anecdotes which made him laugh, and the sound always took your breath away. You wanted to keep him laughing, and some jokes were shared back and forth which led to you laughing as well. You didn’t want this to end as you found how comfortable you felt with this monster, with Grillby.

He kept the conversation focused on you, which started to make you feel bad after a while so you tried to find a way to redirect back to him by asking about his friends or the guests that usually come to the bar.

Grillby’s face lit up as he shared a few words about some of his patrons and friends. He mentioned the Canine Unit, a group of various royal guard dogs, a few bunny patrons, and more. Lastly, he spoke of Sans, whom he described as a short skeleton with an endless amount of puns, and sounded like his closest friend.

“Though he’s never paid his tab.”

“You’re kidding. And how long have you had this place open?”

“Roughly two years.”

“And in that whole time…” Grillby shook his head. “Not even once…” another shake. You laughed some more. “Wow, I don’t even want to imagine what he must owe by now.”

Grillby chuckled, and then there was a natural pause and silence that came afterward. You were staring at him again and then in the silence, you noticed that… there was no longer the sound of rain.

You looked outside and saw that the rain had stopped. You had no idea what time it was as it was still dark but it looked like dawn was close to approaching.

… _How long had you been talking with Grillby?_ Time seemed to have slipped away.

“Oh my… I’m so sorry for taking up so much of your time!” You couldn’t believe that you had robbed Grillby’s night of sleep! That you had kept him up the whole night when he was possibly going to be working again today.

You started to scramble around, hopping off the barstool and folding the towel he had given you. That’s also when you noticed you were completely dry, not even your clothes were wet anymore. You guessed that it must have been because of the warmth that Grillby naturally emitted.

As you moved around, somewhat in a frenzy, Grillby came from behind the bar, shaking his hands to gesture to you not to worry.

“____. It’s not an issue. It’s a pleasure to talk with you.” The blush came back and he blushed a bit too. There was a slight pause as he looked down and put his hand on the back of his neck before looking back up at you. “I’d rather stay open the whole night and talk with you then close.”

Your blush became even more fierce and he put his hand up to his neck as the blue on his face started to grow.

Not too sure how to respond to that, you decided to just be honest. “It’s been really nice talking with you too.” Now it was your turn to look down and then back up at him. “It was fun.”

There was another pause when you suddenly realized something else. “Oh, Grillby.” At the mention of his name, the fire elemental became even bluer and immediately locked eyes with you. “How much do I owe you?” You started to reach into your bag, that was now on the stool when Grillby put his warm hands on top of yours to stop you.

“____. There’s no need.”

“Grillby. That’s nonsense. I kept you up the whole night. I can’t _not_ pay you.”

His hands stayed on yours and lightly tugged to make you stop searching for your wallet.

“You can pay me back by returning to my bar.” His hands were holding yours now. They were much larger than yours and oh so warm. It was soothing.

You blushed more, gosh your face must be beet red right now, and so did Grillby. You looked up at him, meeting his soft blazing eyes, and nodded.

“Alright, that sounds like a deal. But I’m definitely paying next time.”

“Deal.”

This moment, it was serene. Your hands in his. You gazing into each other’s eyes. You didn’t want this moment to end, and you hoped that neither did he.

After a moment, you saw through the windows that the beginning of dawn was about to break and you knew that now you had to part.

You, apprehensively, withdrew your hands first, and shouldered your backpack. You looked up at Grillby once more. “I’ll see you soon Grillby.”

“See you soon ____.”

With that, you headed for the door, and before heading out you waved back at Grillby who waved back.

Once out you looked up at the glowing sign that guided you to this blissful encounter. In bright neon red and orange letters, it read _Grillby’s_.

 _Perfect._ It made you giggle a little bit and then you walked to the closest bus station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you enjoyed it so far! I have just recently gotten into Undertale so I'm still learning all the characters and everything, so if someone seems OOC please let me know!


	2. Bliss in Remembrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby's recollection of meeting you. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am uploading this at 1 am, but I just had too much fun writing this. :3

After taking your usual bus, you were finally home at your small studio apartment near the edge of the city. Having stayed up the whole night talking with Grillby, you were in a mixed state of exhaustion and bliss.

During the whole bus ride, you managed to stay awake by replaying the entire evening in your head. You found yourself blushing and smiling at even the small things that happened, from remembering when you were in his arms to his laugh. 

You let yourself have and relish in this memory, this wonderful evening of talking with a monster. The entire subject of monsters was still considered a little taboo in the human world, as they only came out of the mountain roughly two years ago and the majority of the human population didn’t like them. The human governments weren’t sure how to acclimate to this new change which means that it was a general struggle for monsters to have the same rights as humans. Granted it seems to have gotten better, but you can’t say for sure as you don’t personally have to deal with it everyday.

You’ve heard of some monsters making it in the human world, specifically one named Mettaton who had a TV show that started to gain some traction a while ago. It was starting to help put monsters in a good light. You had never really thought about monsters prior to coming to this city so your stance was neutral, but there were some small incidences that caught your eye, but you didn’t know what to do in those moments. This city was meant to be their safe haven. 

As you were thinking more about this heavy subject, you realized that last night, you never found yourself questioning that you were talking with and blushing at a monster. Then you wondered how he felt about it. Looking back, he didn’t give any signs to mind that you were a human. At least you didn’t think so. 

That’s when the bus stopped and you were home. You entered the apartment complex and made your way up the stairs to your small studio apartment. Completely exhausted and drained, you flopped right onto your bed.

Then your groggy mind wandered back to the feeling of being in his arms. In Grillby’s arms. Yes, he held you because you were about to fall and possibly injure yourself, but it felt nice. Grillby was warm and… you know it sounds ridiculous as you have only just met the elemental, but you felt safe. Despite his large figure, his touch was quite gentle. Subconsciously, you found that you were hugging yourself, hoping to replicate the way you felt in his arms.

It wasn’t the same, even when you curled into a small ball to create that feeling of warmth. You wanted to be held again. Your mind began to wander more and you started to think, that maybe if he had brought his head closer you could--

You lurched up. _No! Stopping that thought right there. You are tired and just need to take a cold shower then sleep._

Afterward, you were lying in your bed. Once again you let your mind wander, hoping it wouldn’t go back to Grillby, but it inevitably did. It was innocent, however, as you thought about his smile, the sound of his laugh, the small shifts in his flames as his expressions changed, and how he looked at you. Like there was nothing else. 

With the thought of being surrounded by his warmth, you found yourself drifting off to sleep, with a huge smile on your face. 

Unbeknownst to you, that on the other side of town, the same fire elemental you were thinking about, was also thinking about you.

~

Grillby had just waved goodbye to you and witnessed your charming giggle as you looked up at the neon sign above his bar. He went to the glass door to watch you leave, and when you were out of sight, he walked to the bar to reflect on everything that had happened that evening… and to find a way to calm whatever was making his body rise in temperature.

Last night, when the rain was still just small innocent droplets, his patrons started leaving as they had a hunch it was going to get a lot worse. The Canine group was the first to leave as Sans had decided to stay a little longer before getting a text from his brother to come home to try a new spaghetti recipe he was trying.

“hehe. put it on my tab won’t cha.” Sans winked and after Grillby humored him with a soft chuckle, he had blinked out of existence.

This left Grillby all alone, and shortly after the rain really started to come down. He kept meaning to lock the front doors, figuring that no one else was gonna make it tonight, but he never got around to it. He was immensely thankful he hadn’t when you suddenly came bursting through the door.

He heard your voice first, a loud but melodious ‘hello’ and he quickly returned to the bar to see whose voice had stirred this unknown feeling within him.

Grillby saw you and… his mind didn’t even have time to process as he instinctively moved towards you. He saw you were completely drenched and apologizing for coming in to which Grillby reassured you that it was fine. 

Your voice was soft, and light, most likely due to how cold you must have been. Not wanting you to continue shivering he gestured to the bar, as that was more socially accepted than just hugging and warming you up himself. 

_Wait… what?_

He didn’t have time to compose his thoughts as your ‘thanks’ brought him back to reality. Then you took a step forward and slipped. Grillby saw that you were about to fall when he quickly moved to catch you.

… And now, you were in his arms… 

You were pressed against his chest and he could feel your hands against his abdomen. He knew he had done his job and kept you from falling on your face, but… he didn’t want to let go.

During the few seconds that this embrace lasted, Grillby saw how he was able to fully envelop you in his arms, and if he had rested his chin on the top of your head, you would have been engulfed by him. 

You felt soft, or rather light in his arms and a part of him naturally wanted to hold you closer and not let you go. Some more thoughts were about to go through his head when you heard the sizzling sound of steam and quickly broke from his embrace.

He saw the look of worry and panic in your eyes as you checked his arms. Grillby found himself touched by how you were worried and he started feeling amused to the point where he was chuckling. 

Here you were with a fire elemental, a monster, and you were worried you had hurt him… You weren’t running away or looked to be scared of him. A small bit of relief washed over him and Grillby couldn’t help his smile as you continued to check that his arms were fine. 

He reassured you once again that he was fine and you looked convinced. Then Grillby saw you shiver and although he wanted to hug you again to warm you up, he thought this would be too forward and out of place, as you two had literally _just_ met. Instead, he gestured to the bar again and put a hand on your back, hoping that this contact was alright. You seemed to subtly lean into his touch as he gently guided you to the bar. 

After you had sat down, Grillby got you a towel from the back room as you wrapped it around yourself, he caught himself just… staring at you. He didn’t fully understand why but he just wanted to take in everything about you. 

You had thanked him again and then commented on the crazy rain. Grillby could hear the sound of it, and admitted how he hasn’t seen it like this for a long time. Then he saw you dry your hand and reach out to shake his. To Grillby, this gesture was really thoughtful and he couldn’t help the small smile that the flames on his face made. 

“My name is ____ by the way.” The sound of your voice was like silk, and Grillby had an inkling feeling that he would be hearing your name echo in his mind. 

“Grillby. It’s a pleasure ____.” It was as if he was tasting how the name sounded and thinking about whispering it in your ear. _Wait, slow down there…_ but a part of him didn’t want to. Deep within him there was something surfacing, and it felt warm and an emotion accompanied it that he had not felt for a long time.

You shook each other’s hands and Grillby, again, did not want to let go, but knew he had to. However, he let his hand linger just a little longer. Just to preserve that feeling you gave him, even if only for a moment more.

He hoped he wasn’t coming across strangely to you, so for just a moment, he buried this feeling, this warmth that was also… something else, at least just for now. Then Grillby thought he saw you blushing as he moved to make you a drink that would warm you up. 

Grillby gave you a drink that he hoped you would like as well as warm you up. Knowing that humans liked hot chocolate, he used that as the base for the small amount of magic he had put in that would warm you up. 

When you told him it tasted good, he couldn’t help smile and that warm feeling within him came back. He wonders if he would ever be able to really bury it, but did he want to? 

Another blush graced your face and it looked like you were trying to hide, but he noticed it. Grillby didn’t want to embarrass you, so he acted like he hadn’t seen it and started cleaning some glasses. 

After that, the only sound was the rain as you two had fallen into a peaceful silence. It was calming and Grillby found that he just liked being with you… even if neither of you were talking. There was something that, again he couldn’t describe, but it just made him comfortable. He saw all the small stolen glances you took and he enjoyed the attention. 

Then there was the time he met your enchanting gaze and your eyes were radiant. The blush was there and he saw you turn your head to hide it. Grillby could feel his flaming cheeks burn a bit brighter.

After not having said anything for a while, you spoke once again and Grillby felt how he had missed the sound. “It’s really coming down isn’t it?”

“It is.” He had put a glass down and decided to walk over to you, so you were across from him. Even though he wasn’t looking at you Grillby could feel your eyes upon him, and a part of him revelled in the attention, while another part fought to keep his ego in check. Grillby was a man of virtue after all, and he would act like so. He would be a gentleman. 

When he had mentioned how it was lucky that everyone was able to leave before the downpour started, Grillby saw the look of worry on your face. Then, in a panic, you asked if he was supposed to already be closed, and Grillby suddenly realized that he was, but he wasn’t going to leave you out in the rain. The thought had never crossed his mind and he didn’t want you to even think that he would throw you out.

“Yes, but please, don’t worry. I’d rather stay open and have you warm than let you be out there.” Grillby truly hoped that this wasn’t too forward, but it was the truth. 

As he looked at you, concerned, he thought that perhaps, you were gazing at him the same way he had been with you. A soft glaze came across your eyes and it felt intense. Now it was finally his turn to blush as he could feel his cheeks burning brighter and turning slightly blue.

Now, before his mind could think anything up, he grounded himself and wanted to learn about who you were. Yes, you were someone that made him feel a certain way, but Grillby didn’t want to just know and admire how you looked. He wanted to know you. Who you were, your likes and dislikes, your fears and loves… perhaps some of those were topics for later, but he desired to know who you were. Who was ____?

So for the first time in who knows how long, Grillby spoke without thinking. “I hope I’m not imposing, but what do you do ____?” _Way too forward, Grillby._

You didn’t look completely off set by his question, just slightly taken aback which worried Grillby for a moment until you responded with a lightness to your voice. “I’m an art student. I study at the university just down the block.”

You were an art student. A creative. A creator. Grillby immediately wondered what kind of art you made. Sculptures, paintings, drawings, prints? An endless amount of questions started to form in his mind. He tried to tame them but he immediately blurted the first one that came to him. 

“Art, that’s quite fascinating. Any particular medium?” Luckily his voice was in check and from what Grillby could tell, he sounded calm. 

You two were still looking at each other, and your blush was growing even more. He could feel the blush on his face grow as you tried to hide yours in your hands. It was a charming gesture… his blush grew a bit more… his face must have been completely blue at this point.

“Paint. Mostly acrylic.” Grillby was hooked and just wanted to hear you talk more. A part of his mind kept wandering and imagining what your paintings looked like, and as if you knew what he was thinking you continued, “I do a lot of abstract work, but I also love doing landscapes and flowers.”

Grillby couldn’t keep himself from smiling, and he hoped that you would keep talking. He just wanted to listen to your sweet voice and learn all about you. Even if it was small tiny things, he just wanted to know more, and to his sweet pleasure, you did. 

At first, it sounded like you were nervous as your sentences were short at first, and Grillby hoped it wasn’t because of him. So he started asking some more light questions, never venturing anywhere that felt too personal, as he wanted you to feel comfortable. Slowly but surely, your sentences were longer and you even told a few funny stories that made Grillby laugh. 

This is what he wanted, just to be with and listen to you… and perhaps he hoped you felt the same. There were some instances where you also laughed and by goodness, Grillby knew he would never tire of hearing it. He didn’t have words to describe how it made him feel except warm. 

Then you started asking questions about him, and Grillby was happy to oblige. He was naturally a man of few words, but that was not the case with you. He spoke a bit more and shared some small stories about his usual patrons, and of course Sans, Grillby’s oldest friend, was among them. 

When he shared how Sans has never paid his tab, you two had become very comfortable with each other and everything felt more natural. Grillby couldn’t ask for anything more. 

“Not even once…” Grillby shook his head again and you laughed some more. He was in pure bliss. “Wow, I don’t even want to imagine what he must owe by now.” Frankly, Grillby has lost count, but he knew it was a lot. He chuckled just thinking about how much it would actually be… maybe he should find out and tell you?

Then there was a natural pause that occurred, and in the peaceful silence, you two just looked at each other. Drinking in everything about the other.

Grillby hadn’t even noticed the rain had stopped until you pointed it out. Your face was stricken by panic and he hoped everything was alright, but then he drew the same conclusion as you… 

_We have been talking all night._

You apologized for taking up Grillby’s whole night and he wanted to reassure you that you had nothing to apologize for because he enjoyed every second of it. So he found himself walking around the bar and over to you.

“____. It’s not an issue. It’s a pleasure talking with you.” Both of you started blushing and Grillby at first wanted to hide it, but then he didn’t. He decided to be honest and tell you more. “I’d rather stay open the whole night and talk with you than close.”

Grillby saw you blush even more fiercely and he could only imagine how blue his face must have been. He hoped he hadn’t pressured you into saying anything. Grillby just wanted to share a fraction of how he felt. 

But you said back, “it’s been really nice talking with you too.” You enjoyed talking with him. You felt the same. Grillby was… he didn’t know exactly how he felt but it was warm.

Then he saw you rummaging through your bag. “Oh, Grillby.” His name. Coming from your lips, in your sweet tone. He wished you would say it again, and again… and again… and again. Grillby managed to hold back all the images his mind was starting to conjure up, but he knew his face was still blue. 

“How much do I owe you?” 

_Oh no. No. You weren’t going to pay for anything. Meeting and being with you was enough._

Grillby placed his hands on top of yours and just being in contact with you made his core burn a little hotter. “___. There’s no need.” Grillby held your hands just a little tighter and did his best to take note of every possible feature about them, from how soft to how small they were compared to his.

When you said how you couldn’t not pay him, Grillby saw his chance, and by goodness, he was going to take it. “You can pay me back by returning to my bar.” It was a risk, but he took it, hoping it wasn’t in vain.

“Alright, that sounds like a deal. But I’m definitely paying next time.” 

_No, you weren’t._ But Grillby didn’t say that. 

In his moment of victory and pure bliss, he said, “deal.”

This moment, neither of you wanted it to end. You were both comfortable with the other and each had this swirling, warm feeling by just being with the other. Grillby was utterly entranced and you were ready to gaze into his crackling eyes for infinity. But you both knew that this moment had to end. 

When Grillby felt your hands withdraw, he wasn’t sad or offended. He understood that you had to go, and he hoped that this was not the last time. 

You had your backpack on and looked up at Grillby who was smiling. “I’ll see you soon Grillby.”

“See you soon ___.” With one final moment of staring at each other, you headed for the front door, and Grillby watched. He saw you walk a little ways before turning around to, what he guessed, look at the sign above his bar. Grillby walked up to the glass door and saw your giggle and he watched you walk down the street.

Once you were out of his sight, he locked the glass doors to officially close. Everything that just happened was going through his head, and his mind started to wander. 

A part of him wondered what would have happened if he had moved his hands from yours to your waist so he could gently pick you up and put you on the stool. You would have been closer to his eye level and he could have admired their radiance for a little longer. How you would have been oh so close. With his hands lightly touching your neck and back, he could gently pull you closer to him so your legs were around his waist. Then he would be even closer and could have leaned down to… _!!!_

_No! You hardly know her and your mind is already wandering to this?! You… you need to cool down._

Which granted would be quite difficult for him given what he was. But… now he knew that this feeling that you gave him wasn’t fleeting. This was here to stay and he realized it could either be the beginning or end of something… something that his mind wasn’t ready to admit but his soul was. Monsters were quick to feel powerful emotions and to deny this fact was to go against a deep essence of his being. But no, he was a gentleman and he could keep this contained. Just to be near you was enough.

Grillby would let you set the boundaries and he would not cross them. Anything to not lose you. All he asked, all he let himself desire, was that you would come back. That he could see you again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it! Your comments and kudos have meant the world to me!


	3. A Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You contemplate returning to the bar tonight or waiting a little while.

You woke up in a mixed state of feeling refreshed yet drowsy, the feeling where you slept deeply but it wasn’t enough. Granted, you had pulled an all-nighter, so you were expecting to feel this way. Turning on your phone, you saw it was around mid-afternoon, which meant you got a decent few hours of sleep. It was better than nothing, and you could see that the sun was rather high in the sky as the light came pouring in through the windows.

Luckily you didn’t have a class until later in the day, which you were thankful for because otherwise, you would have slept right through them. You hadn’t pulled an all-nighter for awhile, and you promised that you wouldn’t put yourself through that fatigue again, but… last night, talking with Grillby… _it was worth it._

As you laid in bed, warmed by the sun’s rays, you replayed the evening in your head… again. You found that your thoughts always went back to his soft laugh and vibrant eyes. They were something else and while you could picture them perfectly, the memory wasn’t the same as seeing it in real life. This led you back down the road to how you felt around him, comfortable, and it was just nice to be with him.

Grillby was charming and he was kind as he let you stay the whole evening when he was actually supposed to be closed. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. Grillby didn’t even want you to pay, saying that you could repay him by coming back. You started blushing and it increased when you remembered how he held your hands so gently. All the giddiness you remember feeling that evening started to come back and you covered your face in a pillow in embarrassment of your reaction. _Calm down and stop acting like a teenager!_

Then you thought about what you said to him, that you would come back to his bar, and you would. You wanted to. You found yourself wanting to go back tonight… _but would that be too soon? I mean, we just met less than 24 hours ago._

You weren’t sure what the proper “etiquette” was in this situation. Would you come across as clingy or something if you went back this evening? Or would he be happy to see you again so soon? Would you do what you honestly wanted and go back tonight?

_I want to go back… I want to see him again._

A warmth started to stir within you, and it felt pleasant. Comforting… and a small innocent blush started to spread across your face as you realized how happy you felt… as you thought about him.

All these questions and thoughts were wandering around in your head, and you entertained each of them. Which meant that you laid in bed for much longer than you intended. An alarm you had automatically set for this day of the week went off, telling you that now it was time to start moving if you wanted to get to your classes on time.

You started getting ready and found that you were taking a little bit more care as to how you would look today. It wasn’t until you were about to head out the door that you noticed this when you looked at yourself in the mirror. It was completely subconscious and you blushed a little at the idea of how much someone you had just met affected you.

Then you wondered what this all meant. You thought about how you felt, and your mind wandered for a moment until you wondered… 

... _Do I have a crush or something?... Maybe…? I mean, I’ve been blushing so much…_ Perhaps this was a fleeting feeling and you were just happy that you had found someone you were comfortable with. _Yeah… I think that’s it._ If anything, you just wanted to get to know Grillby better because you wanted to at least develop a friendship with him. It had been a long time since you have found someone you were comfortable with so quickly, and you didn’t want to jeopardize that. _I’ll be cool, and see where this goes._

You prepared and ate some food before you left because you were going to be at the university for the rest of the day. You also stuffed some snacks into your backpack, then put it on and left your studio apartment. You made sure it was locked before you went down all the steps to the street where a block down you waited for your bus. Once it arrived, you hopped on and sat by a window, staring out at the passing streets as you thought more about what you wanted to do.

The real question was, do you want to go back to Grillby’s? _Yes._

Then it came down to whether or not you should go tonight or wait a little longer. You were worried that it would be kind of awkward if you came back again this evening, because it was so soon after your first meeting. You were really scared that you would come across as clingy or perhaps even desperate, but at the same time, you didn’t want to torture yourself by making yourself wait to see him again. 

You contemplated this conundrum the entire bus ride, going back and forth to the point where you were starting to drive yourself crazy. It got to the point where you started coming up with different ways Grillby would react and that was when you knew you had to stop before you painted a super negative picture or started to psych yourself out when you had no idea what could actually happen. 

Really, you just wanted to be honest with yourself. _Yes, I want to see him again._ There was a feeling you got when you were with him, and you wanted to feel that again. You wanted to explore it and see what it really was.

… _I think… I’ll--_

The hiss of the bus stopping broke your train of thought and you realized that this was your stop. You hopped off and walked the last few blocks to your university. As you got closer, you were reminded of how much work you had to complete tonight, which put a damper on your mood. Before you went in, you glanced in the general direction of where you remember Grillby’s bar being. That’s when you made your decision: _if I get all my work done at a reasonable time… I’ll go._

You felt a small warm, fuzzy feeling grow within you, and found yourself filled with a certain sense of determination. _When I finish, I’ll get to see him again._

Then you walked into the building, heading to the elevator that would take you to your class. 

… _I want to see Grillby again._

Was your last thought before you got your brain to start focusing solely on work so you could fulfill your promise.

~

On the other side of town, Grillby was asleep in his apartment above the bar. Usually, his dreams were cold and empty, but this time… amongst the darkness, there was a small warmth. Grillby wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but he felt it deep within him, within his soul, and he held it close. Even though he was a fire elemental, this feeling made him warmer, and a soothing sensation filled him. Grillby for once felt… alright, within this darkness as he while cradling this small flame.

In the dream, he realized that his eyes were closed, and when he opened them, he saw you… in his arms. _I barely know her, and yet, I’m already dreaming about her._

In his dream, both of you were lying down, and Grillby held you in his arms. Then he gently pulled you a little closer, and while he knew this was a dream, he still didn’t want to wake you. He admired and gazed at you, trying to commit every one of your features to memory. From the color of your soft hair to every curve of your face. Then he realized that your eyes were closed, so he didn’t have the pleasure of staring into their radiance.

_She’s beautiful._

Grillby wanted to see you again, in real life. He knew he could see you in his dreams, but it wasn’t the same. They and his memories could never truly replicate or capture the true essence of you, but he would let himself indulge in this small moment. It was innocent, and as he held you close, he let his hand rest on your cheek and softly stroked it.

That warmth within him grew and he was content to just see you in his dream. It had been a long time, nearly too long since his dreams were anything else but of a dark void. He cherished this little moment of peace he had, as he lay beside you and held you in his arms. Grillby wasn’t sure how long his dream lasted, but within it, he closed his eyes and then found that he was now awake. 

Grillby laid in his bed, waking up, and then looked to the empty spot next to him. He briefly let himself imagine that you were there, like in his dream. You were having such an effect on him, and frankly, Grillby wasn’t ready for it, but he found himself welcoming it all the same. However, he wanted to slow himself down a bit because his soul was moving faster than his mind. There was no doubt that he desired to see you again but he didn’t want to rush anything with you. He was a patient monster and he would let this naturally evolve into… well he wasn’t sure what. Regardless, Grillby at least wanted to get to know you more and at least develop a friendship with you. Talking and laughing with you was enough to ease his soul’s desire… for now-- _yes, it would._

Then he thought last night, and how he had asked for you to come back to his bar. He let himself hope that you would, at least sooner rather than later. While the thought of you never coming back had crossed his mind, he didn’t let himself dwell on it, and he had a feeling that he would see you again. 

Before Grillby’s mind could go down the rabbit hole that would inevitably lead to him going in circles about this, he looked at the time. There were a few hours before he had to open at 5:00pm, so he decided to take this time to count inventory and make sure his bar was clean. He dressed for work, putting on his usual white dress shirt, bow tie, black vest, and trousers. Then he made himself something to eat before opening the door of his apartment to go down the flight of stairs with two doors, one to the bar and the other to the small alley beside the building. 

Grillby went into the bar and headed to the back rooms where he started taking stock of everything he had. Per usual, Grillby found he was running low on ketchup as it was the only thing Sans ever really ordered. Once he was done going through the majority of it, he went to the bar to make sure everything was clean. As he walked out of the back room, his eyes wandered to where you had sat the previous night, and again, he started thinking about everything that had happened. He could feel his face turn slightly blue and then immediately distracted himself by going back to what he was doing. 

As he was aimlessly cleaning, his mind started to wander… _Would she come back tonight?_ He hoped but doubted it, but it seemed to soon for you to want to come back. Grillby felt his soul grow warm at the thought of seeing you so soon again. However, he promised himself that he would let this naturally unfold… but he would let himself hope that you would come back tonight, or at least sometime soon.

He looked at the time again, and Grillby still had a few hours to get through before he opened and could be distracted from his thoughts by the orders of his patrons. Then instinctually, he looked at the glass door and found himself subconsciously starting to count the time until he could unlock the doors and open for business.

While Grillby was making sure the bar was spotless, you were swinging a large paintbrush around as you were trying to make the greatest mess of polka dots possible on this large piece of canvas. You had just gotten out of your first class of the afternoon and were working on a piece for an abstract assignment. Luckily you had your jean smock on so whatever paint didn’t make it onto the canvas wasn’t ruining your clothing underneath. 

You were having a lot of fun as you worked in your small private studio. It was where you had stored your portfolio last night and many of your other paintings. The studio was rather spacious, to the point where you could put multiple large canvases on the ground and still have a fair bit of room to walk around. The university had many private studios for students and you were super lucky to get this one not just because of the large space, but also because the side facing the street was made entirely of glass. It was a huge window where you could look over the city since it was a room on one of the top floors. This room did cost you quite a bit extra, but it was worth it because frankly you spent more time here than in your apartment, and the view was just so beautiful. 

When you walked in earlier to start working, you tried to see if you could see Grillby’s place from here, but it wasn’t in the right direction. It made you a bit sad, but it was probably for the best because you probably would have ended up spending a lot of time looking at that orange neon sign.

You took a step back from the canvas you had propped on an easel and heard the crinkling of the plastic floor covering beneath you. _The last thing I want to do is mess up this room._ The work on the canvas was… interesting to say the least, but it wasn’t enough. It looked stale and you knew the teacher wouldn’t be pleased. 

“Uhhhhg.” You sighed and decided to take a quick break, which meant turning around to gaze out the large window. 

Then you heard a knock on the door and shouted, “yeah?”

A female voice responded, “how you doing in there paint-brain?!” You immediately recognized who it was and rushed to the door to open it.

“Janine! Hey!” A young woman with copper brown hair, your best friend Janine, stood at the door. You hugged her and in an overly dramatic tone begged her, “please save me from this!”

“Oh shit,” she laughed as she hugged you back. “What is it this time?” You let go of her and then guided her over to the messy canvas. She looked at it quizzically as you backed away to look at it from another angle… thinking it might help if you looked at it from somewhere else… it didn’t.

“This looks like something for Mr. Shambless.”

“Yep. The one and only.”

“What exactly is the issue?”

“We’re doing an abstract unit right now, and I wanted to try and channel you know, ‘my inner chaos’ and splatter paint everywhere--” you showed her your large paintbrush that you swung around like a sword “--to get that effect. But… it’s just not… it doesn’t look or feel right.”

“I don’t know, to me, this looks pretty abstract.”

“It’s not enough for him. He’s gonna tell me ‘there’s still a uniform or pattern to this Ms. ____. You need to let go of any ideas you have and let the paint flow,’” you did your best to be nice in your imitation of your teacher, but you couldn’t help the exaggerated tone you had while doing so. 

You plopped down on the ground and looked up at it. “Uhhhhhg. Got any possible ideas, Janine?”

She sat down next to you, “hmmm. Well, as a student of literature, I could start monologuing to you about all the different types of analysis I can do about your painting.”

“Please just write me the most eloquent paragraph about how this is abstract that I can give to him! Give a definition if you have to!” Then you both started laughing and enjoying the fun you guys were having.

You two had known each other for a fair amount of time, and even though you guys weren’t in the same major, you did as much as you could to hang out as much as possible. Both of you guys were constantly being given large amounts of work that ended up taking up most of your guys’ time, so the moments you had like this were always pleasant. 

After a while, you stood up and walked up to the incomplete painting. “Alright, seriously though, what am I gonna do with this?”

“Honestly, I say just let a rip.” You looked at your friend, confused, and then she got up to stand next to you. “Like, just dig deep and let yourself run wild.”

“But I’ve been doing that.”

“I guess, but… hmm. You know what, do it with your hands.”

“Hmm?”

“Like finger painting style. Just close your eyes and let your hands just go wherever. You can’t beat that for abstraction. You’ll just let your subconscious flow. You know! That inner creativity.”

You entertained the idea, “you know, it’s worth a shot.”

“Awesome.” Then Janine pulled out her phone to look at the time.

“Gotta head out?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a lecture in a few minutes, but hey! We still good to hang out this weekend?”

“Yes! Oh please, I’m gonna need that after this week.”

“Oh! Why? What’s happened?”

For a moment you froze. “Uh… nothing really?”

You weren’t meaning to keep meeting Grillby a secret from Janine, but you were still in the middle of processing and wondering about it, so you weren’t completely ready to share.

“___, I have known you long enough to know that that is not true. Spill the tea man.”

“Uhhh, I kinda met someone last night--” you saw Janine’s eyes glow and immediately wanted to clarify “--not like that! No, just casual you know… and I’m still just processing and figuring it out more.”

“Uh-huh, alright--” the alarm went off on her phone and she quickly turned it off “--well this weekend! You’re telling me everything.” She had a huge smile on her face and you couldn’t help return it.

“Alright.” With that, you hugged each other again and Janine waved ‘bye’ as she closed the door behind her. 

Which left you alone with the painting that you stared at the way you would imagine staring at your arch-nemesis. You decided that finger or hand painting was definitely worth a shot. So you gathered some of the paints up so they were next to you and mentally prepared.

“Okay, you canvas, get ready to meet with my ‘inner creativity!’” It was a mini-battle cry and you figured it would help you get in the zone.

You closed your eyes and then just put your hands straight on the canvas since the paint was still wet. Then you just started moving your hands and fingers around in random sequences.

You let your mind wander and you would only open your eyes to look down so you could put your hands in some paints before closing them again to paint again. You didn’t have the faintest clue what you were painting, but as you freed your mind and let it just think aimlessly… you started thinking about Grillby… _I just can’t get him out of my head._

As your mind started to become consumed by thoughts of Grillby, about the flames that crackled on his head and moved all along his face, that warmth from this morning returned. You thought about his eyes, and in your mind, you stared into them. His glasses also framed his face perfectly, and you remember the feeling of his hands, and being in his arms. You felt yourself blushing, as you thought about how he was quite handsome, and his manner was attractive as well. He was charming and then you remember his laugh and chuckle and you knew you were as red as a tomato. 

_Geez!... I gotta calm down here… just chill ___… focus on painting…_

But the image of Grillby kept coming back and then your mind started to wander down a certain direction, where you wondered what it would be like to touch his face. To touch his cheeks and trace his jawline, then lightly go over where you imagine his hair-line, or rather, fire-line would be. You would touch the flames on the top of his head and then eventually bring your hands to the nape of his neck where you would gently trace small circles while you gazed into his fiery eyes. Then you wondered what it would feel like to be in his arms again. You would be pressed against his warm chest and he’d bring his hand to gently tilt your chin up. You would continue to gaze into his eyes as he looked into yours. You could imagine his hand on your lower back, pulling you gently closer, and then he would slowly lean his head down. You’d move a hand to move his cheek and then close your eyes as you met him halfway to ki--

_Hold on there! Slow down!_

You immediately opened your eyes and looked down at your feet, as if they would get the image of Grillby out of your head. _Oh man, I gotta cool down._ Still looking down at the ground, you turned to your backpack by the corner of the room and drank from your water bottle. You didn’t care that you were getting paint all over it from your hands, you’d just wash it off later. Then you turned around to look at the result of your subconscious painting…

_… oh fuck…_

There, on the canvas, was a kind of Van Gogh-style finger painting of Grillby’s face.

… _you have to be kidding me…_

You were shocked… but at the same time weren’t because it is what your mind had wandered to. _Wasn’t this too much though?_

The colors didn’t match since you weren’t painting with just reds or oranges, but all of the strokes undoubtedly formed his face, Grillby’s face. It was an abstract portrait of the fire elemental, and you… you were really proud of this painting. You were a bit embarrassed to admit it, but to you, it was quite beautiful, and you found it an achievement to have created something you were proud of. It was as if... as if you had put your feelings into this painting. Whatever you were subconsciously feeling was represented in this painting. _But what exactly are those feelings?_... That thought was too large and intense for this moment, so you calmed yourself down by just thinking about the technique or style you develop with this.

You knew that this was originally supposed to be for your abstract assignment, but you couldn’t change or get redo the painting. _No. I’m going to keep this, even if it’s just for myself._ You slowly took it off the easel and carefully put it on the ground so none of the splotches of wet paint would run down and ruin it. Then you took a few more moments to admire it, and by extension, remember and admire Grillby’s handsome face. 

You quickly brought yourself back to reality as you remember what you told yourself earlier that afternoon. _If I get this all done, I’ll get to go to the bar._ You shook your head to get yourself back into the working zone. There was about another hour until your next and final class for the day and you wanted to at least have made some progress on your abstract assignment. 

A part of you knew that if you let your subconscious run wild again, you would probably end up painting Grillby again… _I guess I have no shame admitting that at this point…_ So you decided to try something else. You grabbed a bunch of small hand-sized pieces of thick paper and mixed some new paint colors. You liked the natural style that finger painting gave you, and you wanted to see what you could do with it. 

You mindlessly started painting random different designs on each piece of paper, each with different colors. Your plan was to just aimlessly configure different color and design combinations and then mix all the pieces together to create one large abstract finished piece. You think your teacher would appreciate the creativity and it was worth a shot.

Wanting to really get into the creative flow, you put on some music and let your body move to the rhythm. This was also a way to distract you from thinking about Grillby, but your eyes would sometimes wander to that abstract portrait you had of him… maybe, once you got to know him better you could give that to him… and maybe he would or could keep it… butterflies started to form in your stomach at the thought of him seeing your art, and it also made you madly blush. … _That would be really nice…_

But first you had to focus on this, then your next class because you really did want to go to his bar tonight and see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooh! Some feelings are started to get sorted out! Thank you so much for all your kudos and comments! They have been so nice and have motivated me so much! 💕


	4. Is This Too Soon?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby finds himself hoping you'll come back tonight, while you rush to finish your assignments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This story is still alive! I apologize for the extremely late upload. Life, school, job, everything began piling up and I had to reorganize myself. Enjoy!!

As Grillby was wiping a table down in a corner of the bar, he looked at the nearby clock and saw that it was finally time to open. The fire elemental sighed softly in relief as now he would at last be able to keep his mind busy with his patron’s orders, otherwise, his thoughts would keep wandering back to you… like they had the entire day. 

There would be moments when he caught himself staring at where you had sat the previous night and before the soft blush on his face could grow any bigger, Grillby would force himself to turn away… to try and not imagine you sitting there smiling happily at him. 

_ I can’t get her out of my head _ . 

Before he let his daydreams go any farther, Grillby unlocked the doors and only had to wait a few minutes before his usual customers started strolling in. Some of the firsts to enter were the canine unit and one member went to the table designated for their never ending signature card game. Occasionally some other monsters would join him but otherwise he was playing a game on his own. Grillby believed he was now trying to learn how to play solitaire. The rest of the canine unit sat around and began filling the place up with some life and chatter. 

Soon more of Grillby’s usual customer’s came in and slowly the place was bubbling with energy and distractions that the fire elemental desperately needed. His mind became focused as he made drinks and occasionally food for the monsters. It was lovely and as Grillby stood tall behind the bar, cleaning a glass to keep his hands busy, he thought about how… he wanted to share this with you. 

Grillby could picture you at the bar, talking with him or any one of his patrons and hopefully enjoying yourself. He hoped that when you came back, sooner rather than later, that you would maybe… possibly… become a frequent customer. That you would come often… and he would be able to see you more. 

That warmth started to slowly grow within Grillby’s chest. He figured that it had never left, but as the fire elemental started to think more about you, it always started to grow more. With it came his memory of you talking and saying his name…  _ “Grillby.” _

In a voice so soft and melodious, it made his entire body start to heat up. Grillyby swore that just hearing his name on your lips could make him burn to the point where he could melt anything. 

Grillby’s mind was drifting further and further away, until a few more monsters came in asking for some beverages. Once he put down the glass he had been mindlessly polishing for the last few… well, he didn’t know… Grillby started making their orders. The cheery dogs were served and Grillby found himself polishing that same glass again while staring out the doors… hoping… to see you…

~

This late class was ending soon, but you found yourself constantly looking at the clock in the corner of the room, as if begging it to go faster. This was your last class for the evening.

When you had finally managed to tear your eyes away from the clock, you went back to the lecture the teacher was giving on color theory. Although, you were hardly listening as soon it was time…. 30 minutes left… 20 minutes… 10… 5… 3… 2… 

The teacher rattled on, ”so for next class, I’d like to see you guys use complementary colors exclusively… Alright, you guys are free to go--” you were already barreling out the door, shouting “thank you professor!”

You ran up to your studio as quickly as possible, exerting yourself to the point where you were breathing heavily when you closed the door behind you. As you leaned and slid down against it, you quickly started going through all the assignments you had to do. Thankfully it wasn’t a lot, but you gave yourself a moment to catch your breath before moving. 

The assignment wasn’t too large, and you knew that getting it done in a reasonable amount of time was manageable… which meant… 

_ I can see him tonight _ .

You glanced at the time on your phone: 8:47pm. It wasn’t late, at least not by a university student’s standards. There was enough time for you to get everything you needed to have finished, done tonight. 

As you got up, your eyes wandered to the painting you did earlier… the one of Grillby… 

_ I will see him tonight. _

Your conviction was renewed, and you walked over to a few dozen half completely sketches that were piled in the corner. Papers and sketchbooks were grabbed as you sat down to finish your necessary assignments. It was manageable, you could--would do it.

As you started working, a soft warmth filled your chest. The thoughts floating in your mind were all focused on a single goal, getting the assignment done and seeing him again. A blush slowly began to grow on your face at the thought about just seeing Grillby again.

~ 

It was beginning to become late evening as Grillby watched his patrons enjoy their drinks and revelries. No one ever became too rambunctious, but there was an excitement in the air as the various tabletop games became more intense. 

The fire elemental softly smiled at the joyous atmosphere and then found himself wondering where his oldest patron was. As if on cue, there was a sudden pop and sitting in his designated seat, was the punny blue coat wearing skeleton Sans. 

“hey grillbz,” the skeleton gave his signature choppy chuckle before leaning back and slouching. Grillby acknowledged his old friend with a nod before going back to cleaning another glass. “could I have the usual?” 

The fire elemental gave a quick nod and proceeded to make a ketchup drink concoction of his own invention that Sans never failed to ask for. Grillby doesn’t remember how he came up with it, but if his patron enjoys it, he won’t say anything about it. Even though Grillby very much questions his friend’s taste. 

He put the drink in front of Sans who lazily moved his hand to take a swig of it, and after, he didn’t bother to wipe some of the ketchup that was left on his chin. “hehe. still just as good as the first time.”

A soft chuckle sounded from Grillby who returned to cleaning the glass from before. “Your tastes are beyond me, my friend.”

“ey, don’t burn it till you try it.” Sans' small jab made Grillby smile, then he took another swig before letting his skull rest on the bar, his bones completely relaxed. “these days, i’m bone tired.”

Grillby gave Sans a blank face, silenting poking at how the skeleton was always claiming to be exhausted. 

Sans didn’t even budge or move to look at Grillby, he could feel his friend’s stare. “i can feel your utter disbelief,” he chuckled in a dry tone. The skeleton slightly turned his head to reveal a wide grin as the elemental continued to polish the glass. “they just have me workin more night patrols. seen suspicious people hangin around, but turns out tibia bunch of kids usually.” 

Grillby only stopped cleaning the glass for a moment, “anything to be worried about?”

“nah, as i said, just kids lookin for trouble.” Sans waved his hand before chugging a fair portion of his drink. 

Slowly, Grillby allowed his gaze to subconsciously return to the front doors. There was a small… ache? Ember, or warmth? He couldn’t put it to words, but there was something small within him that kept hoping to see you walk through those doors. It would be too soon… but at the same time, he hoped it wouldn’t. 

_ Within just a day, I’ve become undone.  _

A small smile appeared on the elemental’s face, which did not go unnoticed by Sans who followed Grillby’s gaze to the doors. He didn’t see anything so Sans returned to his glass which was now empty. He raised it up and Grillby was brought back from wherever he was and began making his friend another drink. Sans took this moment to look at the doors to see if he could spot what Grillby seemed to be looking for. Again, nothing. He wondered what his friend could be possibly staring at with such… fondness.

~

It was late, but luckily not too late when you finally finished putting on the last layer of wet paint and set it to dry in the corner of your studio. That was it, you were done with what you had to get done for tonight, meaning…  _ I can see him _ . 

You checked the time. Only a little past 11pm, which was fine. Granted you pulled an all-nighter last night, but you slept for most of the morning, so it would balance out… at least that’s how you reasoned with yourself. Frankly, you just wanted to see the fire elemental. To see that soft smile and stare into that stoic gaze that just thinking about made you begin to blush.

There wasn’t a moment to lose! You took a few moments to organize all your materials so you’d be ready for tomorrow then grabbed your bag before locking up your studio. As you went down the stairs, your heart was beginning to lightly pound in your chest. A mixture of excitement and… nervousness.

It felt like there were an infinite number of flights as your mind began to fight with itself.

_ It’s too soon isn’t? -- No! -- But what if I seem desperate or--no! Let’s see him again and find out more! _

This aggressive duet continued until you were finally down in the lobby, and once again solidified your decision.  _ I’m going to Grillby’s. _

You were thankful It wasn’t raining tonight, but as you left the building, the chilly air immediately began to nip at your skin. You put on another layer or two and began making your way to the bar. It wasn’t far, but like the stairs at your university, each step felt like infinity, but this time you silenced your mind and let your feet take you where you truly wanted to go. 

Soon you saw the orange neon lights that spelled “Grillby’s” and you felt your heart burn from a mix of nerves and excitement. This was happening, you were doing this, and hopefully it wasn’t too soon. But… you wanted to Grillby again. You weren’t sure what you were feeling, and there was a need to at least explore this… whatever it was, or could possibly… be? Perhaps that was a bit too fast, but you enjoyed his company, and wanted to develop a friendship.

You stood at the side of the building, just waiting for your chest to stop feeling like it was on fire, and to catch your breath. From outside you could hear the sound of excited voices and occasional cheers. You didn’t want to look through any of the windows in case you were spotted and someone thought you were being weird. 

The door was right there, just a few feet away. The cliche “so close yet so far” had never fit a moment so perfectly, and you berated yourself for making this so painful.

_ Oh man! Come on! Just go in! _ ....

You took a deep breath and stood in front of the double doors….  _ I got this _ .

~

Behind the bar, Grillby continued to rub that same spot on the glass cup. His eyes were still fixated on the doors, and he would only tear his eyes away when he needed to fulfill an order. 

Sans had been watching the elemental when the odd behavior first caught his attention a little more than an hour ago. His friend was usually bustling around the bar, and going through basic inventory, but Sans could see that something greater had captured Grillby’s attention.

Of course Sans was not far off. Grillby was… waiting? The elemental wasn’t sure, but he felt compelled to stare at the doors, as if doing so would somehow summon you here. Although, it was getting late, probably too late for you to appear. 

In his mind he pictured your smile, and your enchanting eyes. Even though Grillby wasn’t able to admire them in his dream, he could recall their brilliance perfectly in his mind, but it would never compare to seeing you in person.

“grillbz--” the fire elemental was pulled out of his daydream by Sans, who leaned his skull into his hand. “something on your mind?”

Grillby softly shook his head and finally started cleaning another glass. 

“you ain’t fooling me.” Sans, becoming even more interested, sat up a bit more and directed his cheeky grin at Grillby who was scrutinizing the new glass he was still polishing. The elemental looked at Sans and then kept cleaning, trying to make himself look even busier. He wasn’t ready for all the possible prying questions Sans would have if Grillby began explaining everything about meeting you last night. 

“what’s gotten you so fired up?” Grillby looked at Sans and was about to say something when suddenly, the front doors opened… and time stood still. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh! It's happening!! I'm so sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, but don't worry the next chapter is almost done and will soon be uploaded! And thank you so much for all your kudos and comments! <3


	5. You're Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are finally at the bar, and Grillby has no words. 💕

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't leave you guys hanging for too long! (❁´◡`❁) So enjoy!!

It could have been an eternity, and Grillby wouldn’t have minded because there you were. Standing in the door war of his bar, looking even more dazzling than his recollections of you. 

_Nothing compares..._

You were standing there, exactly as Grillby had imagined throughout the whole evening, except this time you were real. 

Everyone’s eyes were on you when you stepped into the bar, and it was nerve-wracking, but what made you stop was Grillby. If your chest was warm before, it was now on fire. A smile unlike any other spread across his face and you found yourself subconsciously returning it. As the two of you stared at each other, everything else seemed to fall away. 

At this moment, there was not a doubt in your mind… _there is something here._

The glass in his hand was completely forgotten, Grillby knew he couldn’t deny it… _this is not fleeting._

Sans saw his friend’s genuine smile and… _when was the last time he smiled like that?_ Immediately he followed Grillby’s eye-line and saw a human, you. You were returning that large warm smile and Sans understood everything. With a chuckle, he stood up and made his way over to the human that had captured his friend’s undivided attention. 

“hey kiddo.” You were broken out of your trance by a soft drawl voice. It’s source was a skeleton clad in a blue jacket, less than a foot smaller than you, walking over. “haven’t seen you before.” A cheeky grin spread on his face, and you guessed that this could be none other than Sans. 

“Hey…” you had meant to say more, but the nerves got stuck in your throat. “Yeah, I just found this place the other night...” Your eyes subconsciously went back to look at Grillby who you saw was walking over. 

The fire elemental stood proud and tall in front of you. Just being near you made that warmth within him burn hotter. Your beautiful eyes softly gazed up at him, and Grillby couldn’t keep himself from enjoying how it felt to have your attention on him. He met your eyes, and truthfully, everything else fell away. He saw only you. — right now there was only you

You had forgotten how tall Grillby was, and looking up at him, you wanted to be in his arms again. To be held by him, to be in the warm embrace of his when he looked at you like… _I don’t know exactly, but I don’t want him to stop looking at me like that._

Without even realizing it, you had turned your body to face Grillby, accidentally forgetting about Sans. An overwhelming feeling of warmth made your chest slightly… ache. Before you could stop yourself, his name left your lips. “Grillby.”

It was so richly soft and hearing you say his name nearly made him come undone right there. To hear you say it was bliss. “___.”

His voice was like silk and you could lose yourself in it. Everything still felt so far away, but he was so close. Another step and you could put your hand on his chest and feel that wonderful warmth you were ready to get lost in. 

With a soft laugh, you remembered and told Grillby, “I’m paying you back.”

If hearing his name made him come undone, your laugh made him ready to forget everything and just admire you. To look into your eyes and hold you innocently close. You were near enough that he could. A single step and he could envelop you, warm you, hold you, and it’s all he would ask for right now.

“shall I give you a tour kiddo?” 

Both of you were brought back to reality, and you realized that everyone’s eyes were still on you. 

Without thinking, and wanting to stop being the center of attention, you told him, “yeah.” But your eyes were still on Grillby who was starting to have a small shade of blue appear on his cheeks.

Sans chuckled and from behind you, winked at his friend who he knew was undeniably smitten. Grillby gave a quick glare to his friend, which caused you to turn to Sans who still had a cheeky grin on his face. 

“grillbz, wanna get something started for her?”

Your attention flipped back to the fire elemental, whose hair equivalent flames were crackling a little higher. That small dusting of blue still covered his cheeks, but in such a calm and soft voice he asked, “care to have a drink, ____?”

A sweet smile spread across your face, “could I have what you made me last night?” 

It went unnoticed by either of you, but Sans’ eyes went wide and looked at Grillby for but a second. His smile grew. _in a day, she’s got you like this. hehe._

Grillby nodded--”of course”--and lingered a moment longer, before walking to the bar.

“what’s your name kiddo?”

You turned to the skeleton, and told him, “___.”

“nice to meet you. sans,” he gestured to himself.

“Nice to meet you too.” You offered your hand, and with a smile, he shook it. It was rather odd, the feeling of his bone hands, but it wasn’t unpleasant. 

“hehe. let's get you acquainted with everyone, shall we.” You followed him as he started you leading you around the establishment to meet all the other monsters. 

You weren’t the center of attention anymore as Sans introduced you to all the various monsters, which you were thankful for. The first ones you were introduced to a group that called themselves the “Canine Unit,” a group of lovely humanoid dogs. They were charming and a rather large dog who went by Greatest kept excitedly asking if you wanted to play. You told them you couldn’t join right now, but were interested in playing later. 

Each meeting went something similar and you were amazed by how many different monsters were here. A hamster with a pair of shades who went by the name Rockstar kept to himself and always bore a cheeky grin hung out at the side of the bar. Fleur, a bunny who was lazily watching the canine unit from afar, and then a red bird, who just called himself Red, bounced between all the various groups. There was also a sweet looking spider monster named Muffet who was sipping between multiple cups of sweet-smelling tea. The place was full and it created such a lively atmosphere. You found yourself smiling the entire time and thought that everyone must enjoy it here because of the warmth Grillby provides. 

_Hold on there--I’m… I’m still exploring this feeling._

But you knew that he did create an undeniable warmth. These monsters were here for the drinks and food, but it was also a place for them, provided by Grillby. Following this train of thought made that soft warmth within you burn a little hotter. 

From behind the bar, Grillby’s eyes followed you as you moved through his place. You were laughing and greeting all of the other monsters, his patrons kindly. He’d occasionally hear your laugh from across the room and see that what he wished had come true: you were enjoying his place, being here. Frankly, he couldn’t ask for anything more… _that’s a lie, I can, but this is enough. Having her here, seeing her… it’s more than enough._

After he was done making your drink, Grillby glanced up, and saw you were looking at him. He smiled and saw a small blush appear on your face which made him chuckle to himself. _This is all I could ask for_. 

You could feel the blush growing on your face as you saw Grillby’s broad shoulders move as he chuckled. Before your face could get any redder, you turned to look at the last monster Sans was introducing you to, a dog named Happy. He was playing what you guessed was solitaire but it was hard to tell since the cards were out of order. You didn’t comment on it, but felt a little sad that he was playing by himself. 

“You know what, another night, I’m bringing Uno.”

Sans and Happy both looked at you quizzically, “Uno?”

You stared at the pair in brief disbelief. “Neither of you have played Uno?”

They shook their heads.

“Oh, it’s the ultimate card game.” You leaned in close, and whispered to them, “it has everything, luck, strategy, timing and even”--you leaned in a little closer--”betrayal.”

It may have been a bit much, but the game was worthy of this drama. You had experienced it first hand… from when Janine had two draw 4+ cards… she had been sitting next to you… you still carried that pain and swore revenge. 

Sans and Happy both looked at you wide-eyed and held you to that. You’d be bringing Uno soon… hopefully it wouldn’t result in complete destructive chaos… but it definitely could. _I’m sorry Grillby for whatever I may just have caused to happen in the future!_

You laughed and looked back at the bar where Grillby was cleaning a glass. He looked so stoic, and handsome standing there, overseeing everything. There was a sense of calm authority that surrounded him and you found yourself unable to look away. 

“hey kiddo”--you turned to Sans--”i’d say your drink’s ready.”

He started heading towards the bar. You reassured Happy you’d bring Uno next time and he barked excitedly as you headed to the bar.

You sat down in the same spot as last night and surprisingly, it felt natural. Actually, the entire evening felt this way. All the nervousness you had been feeling was gone and so was the doubt. It all felt so comfortable and you laughed at yourself, thinking about how crazy you had driven yourself earlier when you were debating on coming or not. It wasn’t too soon, rather it hadn’t been soon enough. 

Grillby perked up when he heard you laugh and a warm smile appeared on his face. Everything about this put him in a state of pure bliss. For a second a part of him feared it might all be a dream, but he knew it wasn’t. Grillby’s dreams could never replicate you, and right now, you were such a beautiful and radiant presence, all doubts of this not being real dissipated in a moment. 

He passed you the hybrid hot chocolate drink, and it was just as delicious, if not more so, than last night. 

“Oh, this is so good! Thank you.” You started drinking a large portion of it, unable to stop yourself.

“You’re welcome.” His thick rich voice, accompanied by that smile he directed towards you… you drank more to hide your blush. 

“and I’ll take mine again,” Sans chimed in, sitting in the seat next to you.

Grillby nodded, and started working on the ketchup concoction. 

“so what’s brought you here kiddo?” Something told you Sans was never going to call you by your name, and in a way, you didn’t really mind. There was a charm in the way he called you “kiddo.”

“It was raining like crazy last night, and I wound up seeking shelter here.”

Grillby glanced at Sans and could tell his friend was ready to ask you dozens of questions. He sent a quick glare the skeleton’s way, and while Sans caught it he ignored the look. Sans knew he wasn’t going to get the story from the fire elemental, he was too private for that, so he supposed he’d try his luck with you. 

“ah. you weren’t here during closing time.”

You briefly shared a look with Grillby who looked like he was trying to communicate something to you. Even though it was only a split-second glance, you understood. It was up to you how much you wanted to share. 

With that brief look, Grillby hoped you got what he was trying to say. From the smile that appeared on your face, it seemed you understood.

The two of you haven’t even spent a full day with each other, but… there was a feeling or rather connection shared between both of you. Neither you nor Grillby could explain it, but it felt natural. Comforting even and frankly a little overwhelming for you because you weren’t sure what it meant, but it made you feel warm. Grillby once more knew he had to slow himself down, but the part of him that knew how he felt was already prepared to acknowledge his feelings. _But it’s too soon. I want to develop this more._

It felt like longer, but it had only been a few seconds before you told Sans, “it was just after Grillby had closed, but the doors weren’t locked so I came in.” 

“hehe. gotcha.” Grillby sent another quick look Sans’ way, and while the skeleton did want to inquire more, he wouldn’t press. The last thing he needed was Grillby to be pissed with him. He was just so curious as to how this human captured his friend’s attention so quickly. _a night… just one night and he’s this smitten… hehe…_

If Sans wasn’t allowed to ask about last night, then he would focus his attention elsewhere. Following up on the glare Grillby had just sent him, Sans said, “got a bone to pick with me, eh?”

You snorted and at first, were embarrassed by the sound you had just made, but it caused Grillby to softly laugh. It was such a rich sound, and your face immediately started becoming red. You hid behind the drink, taking a few more gulps.

“what’s wrong with my puns?”

“Nothing, I just thought they’d be more humerus.” Sans and Grillby’s eyes went wide for a moment. Then Sans glanced at Grillby who was looking at you, utterly enchanted. _he’s a lost cause._

“alright kiddo, looks like you’ve got some game. but have you the bones to keep up?”

“Depends on how much marrow you got in em.”

Even though you weren’t directly talking to him, Grillby could feel his face heating up. There was something about you keeping up with and retaliating against Sans that completely charmed him. 

“looks like you’ve got a punny bone or two. but this old sack of bones hasn’t been bested by anyone.”

Puns and quick wit weren’t exactly your forte, but there was a smugness in Sans’ attitude that spired you on. You squinted at him and then got one. 

“Then it looks like I get tibia first! Ha!” 

Sans chuckled and had some of his ketchup drink. You turned to Grillby and silently asked about it--glancing between him and the drink. The elemental shrugged and you accepted it, laughing as a result. It put a smile on Grillby’s face, and once again, he was in a state of pure bliss. This was everything he could have hoped for, if not more. 

Sans put down his drink, “you got me tonight kiddo.”

“Yes!” A bright warm smile spread across your face and when you looked at Grillby, you saw his face full of warmth. This, all of it, was such a comfort and somehow felt so natural. A part of you wasn’t sure this was real or all happening, but it was. 

As you gazed at Grillby, your eyes softened, and you found yourself looking at him all over again. His crackling flames at the top of his head were bright, and he looked undeniably handsome in his bartender attire: a white dress shirt, vest, tie and black trousers. It fit him well, subtly showing off his broad shoulders and lean figure, which led you to imagine being in his arms again. The thought inevitably made you blush… and drink some more before your mind could go down any rabbit holes. 

The way you were looking at Grillby made his flames rise higher. It was as if you were gazing upon him for the first time, and he couldn’t help but stand a little taller. The fire elemental made a subtle effort to show himself off a little more, and when he glanced back at you, it seemed to be working. A smile formed on his face and he returned the look. 

There was no denying your beauty, and Grillby stole as many glances as he could to commit you to memory. Your hair, your face, your smile, your laugh… all of you. What would it be like to hold you again. In just a hug, he could fully envelop you. He remembered the warm and softness of your body and let himself imagine holding you again… he didn’t let his mind wander elsewhere. 

Sans saw the way you two were gazing at each other and he couldn’t help but grin. He knew this could go on the whole night and while he didn’t want to interrupt, patience just simply wasn’t in his nature. Questions started to come out of his mouth before he could change his mind and a conversation naturally evolved between all of you. Grillby was constantly making beverages and once in a while food, while you and Sans talked. A few more bone puns were made, and then some regular jokes, it was fun. This was becoming such a wonderful evening and you knew you would be coming back often… very often.

Time was irrelevant, but slowly some of the monsters were starting to leave. They said goodbye and goodnight to all of you. When Happy left with the rest of the Canine Unit, he made you promise to bring Uno soon. You promised and he barked in excitement before leaving with everyone. When the last monster left, you finally decided to check the time and it was nearly 2 am. 

_Holy… again, I’ve been here the whole night._

You looked around and sure enough, everyone was gone. “Oh my gosh, I had no idea what time it was.” Putting your phone away, you started to prepare to leave. “Grillby, what time do you close?”

“2 am.”

“Oh wow, right on time then.” You hopped off the stool and began putting your layers back on.

“Do you have a way to get home?” Grillby leaned over the bar, and glanced outside, looking concerned. 

“I’ll take the bus.”

“at this time of night?” Sans inquired.

You paused for a moment and also looked outside. “Yeah.” It was rather late, but you had taken the bus before and not encountered any issues.

Grillby didn’t like the thought of you going out by yourself this late at night. What Sans had said earlier dawned on him, and with it being closing time… “___.” You turn to face the elemental. “Let me take you home tonight.”

It wasn’t what you were expecting. A blush started to subconsciously warm your face, but you didn’t want to be a burden or impose on him. “What about closing the bar?”

The fire elemental smiled and turned to his friend, “Sans?”

“gotcha covered, got some time before my shift.”

Grillby nodded, and then looked back at you with a soft smile on his face.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to inconvenience you or--” the elemental immediately started walking over “--anything…” 

He was standing in front of you, with a gentle expression on his face. A moment of calm silence passed, and Grillby reassured you, “you could never be an inconvenience. I just want to make sure you get home safely.”

That blush from earlier was back, and you didn’t attempt to hide it. Then a small dusting of a blush filled Grillby’s cheeks. “Alright, thank you. I just want to make sure I’m not imposing on you.”

“You could never.” In an instant, your worries were gone. You could feel the heat coming from your face. Giving a soft laugh in slight embarrassment, you smiled at the sweet elemental.

“I guess we’ll have to see.” 

From your laugh, his cheeks became a more prominent tint of blue. “Shall we, ____.” Like a true gentleman, Grillby offered you his arm, and without a second thought, you took it. Even through his shirt you feel the warmth of his flames, and it felt just as nice as being held by him. What also caught your attention, was the muscle you felt and you began blushing even more as you delighted in your daydream of being held by him. 

Before he turned his whole attention to you, Grillby quickly looked back at Sans who gave him a wink and motioned for him to get out of there. With Sans reassurance and vote of confidence, the fire elemental directed you to a side door. As you two walked, Grillby could feel the flames on his arm where you touched him grow hotter. Your grip was soft and his blush grew even more as he thought about how much he would have enjoyed to hug and hold you right now… possibly even carry you. Anything to have more contact with you.

The elemental let himself revel in that small daydream for a moment as he walked you to the side door. He opened it for you and there was a little foyer where there was a pair of doors. One that seemed to lead to the next door alley and another to an upstairs apartment. 

To your dismay, you had to let go of Grillby as he moved around, changing shoes and grabbing a pair of keys. You glanced at the door that you bet led to his apartment, and a part of you was curious to see what it looked like. His kitchen, his living room… his room. _Woah! Stop right there!_ Red was the sole color of your face and luckily Grillby was looking elsewhere. Covering your face with your hands, you attempted to cool yourself down. You just hoped you weren’t a tomato.

When you looked back at Grillby, you saw he was wearing a leather jacket with his name and flames embroidered on the back of it. If you thought he looked handsome in his work attire, Grillby looked downright sexy in leather. 

_… I need to calm down… and cool off… oh god…_

He saw your blush when you looked at him, and the small move you made to try and hide it. Grillby found himself turning blue in response, feeling his ego inflate quite a bit with how much you were blushing just by looking at him. His fiery core burned a few degrees hotter as he opened the door for you. 

You walked out and were immediately hit by the cold temperature. Despite your layers, you were still cold, which did not go unnoticed by Grillby. He pulled out another jacket from the closet and offered it to you. “Here.”

It was flattering and charming to see that he noticed you were cold. “Thank you.” Grillby held the thick jacket up behind you. As you put your arms through, once more you could feel the heat radiating from him. Grillby was so close. A step back and you would be against his warm chest. 

The fire elemental shared the sentiment and thought about how the distance was short enough that he could wrap you in his arms. Warm you up himself rather than the coat. Grillby would hold you close and keep the cold from ever affecting you.

Once you had the jacket on, you slowly looked over your shoulder to look at the fire elemental. He was so close, enough so you could feel the heat from his blue-tinted face. Grillby could slowly move and finally close the gap… _she is so close._ A part of him desperately wanted to, and it nearly drove him enough to do so, but his rationale won and slowed himself down. _Let this naturally unfold._ Grillby would follow your lead… and you looked up at him with such a soft glaze over your eyes, they looked like they sparkled. 

Suddenly a siren went by and both of you were brought back to reality. Both your faces were dominated by blushes and quickly turned to look away from one another. You knew your face was back to being a tomato… _I need a cold freakin shower…_

Grillby cleared his throat and touched the small of your back to guide you towards the garage. “Right over here.” His hand alone was so warm and you thought about ditching the jacket and just having him hug you… _right now!..._

He took off the bottom lock and lifted the gate up with ease. Then Grillby went in and you heard a motorcycle roar to life. 

_You’re kidding me..._

The next thing you saw made you wish it was snowing so you could bury your face in the cold. Grillby rolled out a beautiful motorcycle that was detailed with various flame designs all along it. You buried your face in the neckline of the jacket.

The reaction you were giving Grillby made him smile and it took everything in him to not hug and hold you close at that moment. His face was radiant and the fire elemental reached out his hand to you.

Just like before, without even thinking, you took it and let him guide you to the back. Once again, you were so close to him.

“Have you ever ridden one before?”

You shook your head, “no. Anything I should be worried about?” A smile grew on your face.

Grillby chuckled, “no, not with me.” For a moment, it felt like those words said so much more, but you didn’t have time to linger on it as he held up a motorcycle helmet. “Here, put this on.” 

You took the helmet and started putting it on. It was rather heavy and some of your hair was about to get stuck but Grillby gently moved the soft locks out of the way, slightly brushing his hand against your neck. A shiver went down your spine and that warmth growing within you was sure to burst any second now.

The fire elemental hadn’t realized what he had instinctively done, but to touch you… Grillby felt he could melt anything right now. _Just that small contact and I’m set ablaze…_

The helmet was put on and Grillby checked to make sure it was secure. It was rather comfortable. 

Grillby quickly closed and locked the garage door before he hopped on the motorcycle. “Where do you live?”

“On Blank and Sutter street.”

“By the edge of the city?” You nodded. Then Grillby checked everything and when it all looked good he invited you to sit in the seat behind him. 

You sat down and made yourself as comfortable as possible. Once situated, you looked at Grillby’s broad back and slowly wrapped your arms around him. He was so warm, you could have melted against him. 

The elemental's face immediately warmed from the contact and he had to take just a moment to clear his head. 

“Ready.” You nodded. “Hold on tight ___.” 

The motorcycle roared and took off. You gripped Grillby tighter and leaned into him. With it being the first time you were riding one, there was some nervousness. The fire elemental could feel you holding him tighter and while he relished in the contact, he wanted you to be able to relax. He slowed down a bit and your grip loosened in response. 

To have you touching him filled him the warmth Grillby knew he could hardly deny for much longer. There were no words to explain how he felt, but his soul desired to have the vocabulary and guts to explain and confess it all to you. But it was too soon. While Grillby couldn’t deny the natural chemistry that sparked between the two of you, he didn’t know how you felt about it. Grillby would remain a gentleman and follow your pace, your lead. He would despise himself if he did something you weren’t alright with. 

But for now, Grillby would revel in this moment, where you held him close and gripped him for safety. _I will keep her safe._ It was the first of what he would assume would be many declarations to you. The first of many promises. 

As Grillby rode across the city with practiced ease, you found yourself thinking about so much, but mostly about what you were feeling. It was fast and overwhelming yet welcomed all at the same time. There weren’t any words to verbalize even a fraction of it, but you knew you were happy. Happy to have met Grillby, happy to talk with him, happy to have spent a real evening at his bar. You felt so comfortable with him so quickly, but it felt so natural. You weren’t sure where you wanted this to go, but you knew you would be heartbroken if it ended, so… you decided to let this naturally unfold. 

You basked in the warmth radiating off his back and watched the lights and buildings of the city go by. This was a moment you didn’t want to end, and neither did Grillby. It was beautiful and simple in every sense of the word. Grillby’s riding was so smooth it felt like you never turned. There was peace in this, and as your breaths subconsciously matched each other, that feeling of the rest of the world falling away returned. The elemental felt he could drive for eons, and you could hold on for infinity. 

But as Grillby gently rounded one more corner, you saw your studio apartment complex. You pointed to the building and without words Grillby understood. He stopped the motorcycle just in front and let the engine die as he got off. Forever a gentleman, Grillby offered his hand to help you off. 

As you took it, Grillby was reminded of how small and soft your hand was compared to his. You hopped off the bike and with his help, took the thick helmet off. The elemental took it, put it on the seat and then you two just looked at one another.

You glanced at the complex, “this is me.”

“Nice place.”

“Thanks. It is.” Realizing you were still holding Grillby’s hand, you began blushing but you didn’t let go. Then another realization, “I still haven’t paid you back!”

Grillby full-heartedly chuckled and the sound was so beautifully husky you thought your chest would explode. It caused you to smile, then pout and you took a step towards him. “I’m serious!”

He couldn’t contain his rich laughter, and looked at you with such a wonderful expression. “___, there's no need.” The elemental had also taken a step forward, bringing the two of you so close.

“Not that again Grillby.”

You saying his name in that melodious tone… _please let her say it again._

“Same as before. You can pay me back by returning.” His smile was so wide, you couldn’t help but return it. 

“It’s going to be like this every time, isn’t it?”

A soft chuckle moved through Grillby’s body, and he found himself subconsciously rubbing your knuckles with his thumb. The gesture was beginning to make you melt, if you weren’t already. 

“Yes.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to come back.”

“Like always, I await the evening ____.”

_Please say my name again._

Neither of you knows how much time went by, but when a chill caused you to shiver, you knew it was time for you to go. You started taking off the jacket Grillby lent you, and he took it once it was off. 

“Thank you Grillby.”

“Always a pleasure ____.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

“I would hope so.”

Grillby smiled and watched you head up the stairs to the front door of the complex. He would stay until you made it inside, so right now he was organizing his bike.

While at the door, your chest was aching, that warmth becoming unbearable. It caused you to hesitate as you grabbed your key. You wanted something. Despite all your nervousness, you summoned your courage and turned around and called, “Grillby!”

This immediately caught his attention. You were walking down the steps and Grillby met you halfway, making you two eye level when you met. 

“Yes?” 

“Can I hug you goodbye?--Until next time?”

Grillby’s chest ached with an unbearable warmth. Without hesitation, he opened his arms. “Of course.”

You gazed at him, and then gently wrapped your arms around his neck. As always, he radiated a warmth that made you melt into him. Grillby wrapped his arms around your waist, and gently held you close. This was all he could have asked for, and selfishly… he was beginning to desire more. _No--for now, this is all I could ever want… this is all…_

His embrace was so warm and gentle, but it wasn’t enough to fulfill whatever that warmth within you was demanding. Trying to fill that need, you tightened your grip and pulled him a little closer. The fire elemental, who was now burning a little hotter, responded in kind, and held you tighter. Splaying his hand across your lower back, it caused you to naturally lean into him more. On instinct, Grillby spread his arms to attempt to cover your whole back and completely envelope you. You held each other so closely, close enough that you could feel the others chest move as you breathed in unison. 

Neither of you had ever felt such a natural comfort in anyone before, and words wouldn’t have done this moment any justice. Everything was simply being conveyed through your embrace. Both of you could have stayed like this for eternity, but sadly, exhaustion was beginning to take hold of you.

You yawned, and Grillby could feel you lean more heavily into him. He hated to do it, but he slightly loosened his hug to pull back and look at you. You gave him a beautiful heartfelt smile and told him, “I should get to bed.”

Grillby smiled, and gently leaned his forehead against yours, “sounds good, ____.” You rested your forehead against him as your eyes fluttered closed. _Just a little longer…_ As you stood together, Grillby naturally led you in a soft swaying motion that utterly relaxed you. You swore you could have fallen asleep right there.

The fire elemental, smiled as he felt you relax, but regrettably knew that you should head up to your apartment. “Hey,” he softly whispered. You stopped resting your head against his and gazed at him. It was a look beautiful enough to make Grillby beg whoever was in charge of time to make the world stop. 

Now that he had your attention, which he knew was fading, he took hold of one of your hands from around his neck and brought it to his lips. Grillby gave your hand the softest most chaste kiss, but it felt so hot you were sure he must have eaten the sun. Even in your tired state, you blushed like mad and gave him the most radiant smile. 

“Until our next meeting, ____.”

You laced your hands together and brought the back of his hand to your lips, where you planted a soft kiss of your own. Grillby didn’t know what to do, as his soul burned to hot and bright he was sure you could see it glowing. There wasn’t actually a glow, but you saw the blue blush return to the fire elemental’s face.

“Until then, Grillby.”

Then, oh so slowly and with such regret, you gently pulled away. Grillby let you go, but he never stopped watching you. He watched you go up the steps, still awestruck and with his soul throbbing painfully in his chest, to the door of the complex. 

The door opened, and you gave Grillby one final glance before waving goodbye with the widest most beautiful smile he had ever seen. He returned the small gesture, and watched as you closed the door behind yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) !!! You and Grillby, woah!!!
> 
> I just writing and writing and this happened! 💕 I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!


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